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Title COVID-19 Pandemic and Food Insecurity Fuel the Mental Health Crisis in Africa
Full text http://edoc.hu-berlin.de/18452/29359; http://dx.doi.org/10.18452/28772
Date 2024
Author(s) Beck, Jule; Koebach, Anke; Abreu, Liliana; Regassa, Mekdim Dereje; Hoeffler, Anke; Stojetz, Wolfgang; Brück, Tilman
Abstract Objective: Providing country-level estimates for prevalence rates of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), COVID-19 exposure and food insecurity (FI) and assessing the role of persistent threats to survival'exemplified by exposure to COVID-19 and FI'for the mental health crisis in Africa. Methods: Original phone-based survey data from Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Uganda (12 consecutive cross-sections in 2021; n = 23,943) were analyzed to estimate prevalence rates of GAD. Logistic regression models and mediation analysis using structural equation models identify risk and protective factors. Results: The overall prevalence of GAD in 2021 was 23.3%; 40.2% in Mozambique, 17.0% in Sierra Leone, 18.0% in Tanzania, and 19.1% in Uganda. Both COVID-19 exposure (ORadj. 1.4; CI 1.3'1.6) and FI (ORadj 3.2; CI 2.7'3.8) are independent and significant predictors of GAD. Thus, the impact of FI on GAD was considerably stronger than that of COVID-19 exposure. Conclusion: Persistent threats to survival play a substantial role for mental health, specifically GAD. High anxiety prevalence in the population requires programs to reduce violence and enhance social support. Even during a pandemic, addressing FI as a key driver of GAD should be prioritized by policymakers. - Peer Reviewed
Subject(s) generalized anxiety disorder; mental health; COVID-19; food insecurity; Africa; 610 Medizin und Gesundheit; ddc:610
Language eng
Publisher Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Type of publication article; doc-type:article; publishedVersion
Format application/pdf
Rights (CC BY 4.0) Attribution 4.0 International; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Identifier urn:nbn:de:kobv:11-110-18452/29359-6; 1661-8564; 10.3389/ijph.2023.1606369
Repository Berlin - Humboldt University of Berlin
Added to C-A: 2024-06-03;09:00:31